1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to oven-related products and, more particularly, products in the form of oven racks having one portion of the rack capable of sliding relative to another portion of the rack.
2. Background Art
Various types of oven racks are well known in the industry. For example, steel wire oven racks are often manufactured from a steel rod which is drawn, so as to form steel wire. These oven racks formed of steel wire products can be coated with various types of materials. Also, oven racks and other oven-related articles can be manufactured from products other than steel. Of course, any type of oven rack or similar product which is positioned within an oven cavity during use must be capable of withstanding normal cooking temperatures. In addition, for ovens which employ self-cleaning cycles, the oven racks and other oven-related articles located within the oven itself must be capable of being subjected to and withstanding temperatures which substantially exceed normal cooking temperatures. For example, steel wire oven racks may be subjected to temperatures above 900° F. associated with self cleaning cycles, common in today's kitchen ovens.
One difficulty which has existed for a number of years in the industry relates to manual manipulation of oven racks. In many conventional ovens, the oven racks can be positioned at various vertically disposed positions, and be adjustable among the same. With the oven racks positioned as desired at various vertically adjusted locations, the oven racks often “slide” on brackets positioned on the lateral sides of the oven cavity. These brackets or “ledges” may be separately manufactured and assembled components from the surfaces of the oven cavity and oven racks or, alternatively, may be integrated into the lateral surfaces of the oven cavity.
Oven racks can also be constructed of two pieces, where one piece is in the form of a slidable rack, and is capable of extension or retraction relative to a base rack. The base rack can interact with the ledges or lining of the interior cavity of the oven or range to form a support base for the cooking rack. It is known to utilize ball bearing configurations for purposes of achieving extension capability. However, the use of ball bearings or similar elements is relatively expensive. In the prior art, oven racks exist having extension capabilities and using ball bearings or “wire on oven liner” relationships to facilitate extension.